Giant
by keywizard2
Summary: Two things always bothered me. What did Jadis do after The Magician's Nephew but before The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Also, where did the Giants come from? This story answers both questions. Feedback appreciated.


Giants

Jadis watched the happy gathering with bile rising in her throat. The fourth king of Narnia had declared a holiday and taken the court to the Western Wilds, far outside the borders of Narnia. They thought they were safe. Yet here she was, at the very closest point that she could be. Even now, the merest whiff of that accursed Tree made her writhe with pain and nausea.

For five years after the Tree sprouted, she did nothing but run from its terrible smell. She did not eat or sleep or drink. Her shoes wore through and her dress became rags. Once, she fell into a deep canyon and broke both legs. Even as she watched, her bones healed themselves. It took six months to climb out of the canyon. At last, the smell faded and she could stop running. She had only her knife and her magic. For a century, she plotted and brooded and created monsters. Her monsters were terrible but just as vulnerable to the Tree as she was. Twice, she captured Talking Animals. She learned all she could, then ate them.

Jadis watched carefully as the King's youngest son wandered away from his mother. 8 years old and bored, his absence was not noted. The nursemaids were dancing. The fauns were playing various instruments. She did not dare use her magic. She had many other tricks though.

She whistled the melody of a songbird she remembered from Charn. Such birds had been rare near the end. She had captured the last one and made it sing for her. The boy's ears perked up at the unfamiliar melody.

Jadis studied the boy as he came closer. He had wood nymph blood in him. That was even better. She remained hidden, whistling and drawing him further into the trees and away from the others. They had not taught him fear. As he looked into a hollow log, she pounced.

Ten Years Later

The pain was gone. The child was born. She had a son. Once, some part of Jadis might have enjoyed being a mother. Now the child was only the means to an end. As she held him to her breast, she let her power flow into the child. There was an accursed seed of goodness within him but it was manageable. Her slave and the father of her child watched impassively. That was his name: Slave. Jadis had never bothered to learn his real name and had carefully erased any memories of his former life. Slave lived in an eternal now. She would have killed Slave but she still had need of him. There were no other human children. Jadis had taught the kings of Narnia to fear too well. They protected their sons and daughters within castles of stone and never ventured beyond the protection of the Tree.

Ten Years Later

There were six children now: two sons and four daughters. Jadis had carefully shaped them and given them her power as they grew.

Her oldest son was well over ten feet tall now and loomed over Jadis. All six children were inhumanly strong and easily uprooted trees. They did not need to eat. The magic that sustained Jadis also sustained them. They could be killed but would never die of old age. They mated and grew larger and more numerous.

Once, she had taken them on an expedition to the borders of Narnia. While she was stopped by the tree, the giants could get much closer. One actually liked the tree. She tried to make him chop it down and he refused so she killed him. She had never gotten rid of that accursed goodness. Later in history, some of her children would actually join the Lion and fight against her.

Once, she had felt the Lion searching for her. She had cowered within the cavern as her children attended her. She had carefully brainwashed them after that. If the Lion ever asked them anything, they would have vague memories of falling through a crack between the worlds and ending up here. She was only a voice that must always be obeyed.

To protect herself and give them a purpose, she had them build a castle and called it Harfang. If her children were idle, they began to think and thinking was dangerous. She was often gone for long periods, searching for new magic. Once she was gone too long. One great-grandson ruled for a century and had the others build a city of stone. When Jadis returned, she killed him and had her children tear down the city. The stone was used to build a bridge across the canyon where she had broken her legs.

After 800 years, she felt the tree weakening. Her monsters were able to creep closer to Narnia. She licked her lips. The Lion was a fool.


End file.
